Mail catching and delivering means.



C. H. WHITE.

MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING MEANS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2T, 19x6.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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ATTORNEY C. H. WHITE MAIL CATCHING AND- DELIVERING MEANS.

APPLICATION men szrmzz. 191s. v

mm W Feb. 5, 19m.

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l Tlmvgmon Cmwes MMWu'te ATTORNEY c. HUWHITE.

;MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING IVIIEAIIIS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.2?| 191,6.

Patented Feb. 5, 1918.

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ATTORNEY 0.14. WHITE.

MAIL CATCHING AND DELIVERING MEANS. v

APPLICATION FILED SEPT-2L IQIG. r

Patented Feb. 5, 19m.

INVENTOR WITNESSES ATTORNEY UNTTEU srnrns entrants oiernor.

CHARLES H. WHITE, 0F G-LENW'OGD SPRINGS, COLORADO, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRDI FRANK W. vGGDDRIEH, 0F GLENWOOD SPRINGS, COLORADO.

MAIL CATCHING DELIVERING MEANS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 5, 191m...

Application filed September 27, 1916. Serial No. 122,457.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known. that T, CHARLES H. WHITE, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Glenwood Springs, in the county of Gar- .tield and State ofColorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in MailCatching and Delivering Means, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to mail catching and delivering means, and moreparticularly to means for removing a bag of mail from a support or rackand for simultaneously delivering a bag of mail.

One of the main objects of the invention is to provide a receiving anddelivering means of simple construction and operation. A. further objectis to provide a rack and a hook, the hook and rack being provided withcooperating means for delivering a bag of mail to the rack and forsimultaneously removing a bag of mail supported by the rack. A furtherobject is to provide means of simple construction and operation forsupporting a mail bag. A still further object is to provide simple andefficient means for delivering and receivinga mail bag. Further objectswill appear from the detailed de scription.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a front view of the delivering and receiving rack,

Fig. 2 is an end view of the rack and the hook in operative position,

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of thereceiving and delivering hook,

Fig. 4 is a back view of the same, Fig. 5 is a top plan view of themodified form of hook,

Fig. 6 is the same partly in sectlon, Fig. 7 is a section on line 7-7 ofFig. 5, Fig. 8 is a section on line 88 of Fig. 3, Fig. 9 is a detail ofthe mail receiving hook supporting rod,

Fig. 10 is a section on line 10-10 of Fig. 9,

Fig. 11 is a section on line 11-11 of Fig. 5, V

Fig. 12 is a section on line 12l2 of Fig. 3, and Fig. 13 is a detail ofthe mail bag receiving trough.

The front and back plates 1 and 2, respectively, are supported inparallelism by the corner posts 3. These plates are secured together andbraced by crossbeams 4, 5, and

ably receive a block 12 provided with a snapple 13. Mounted on the backplate 2 there arethree U-members 14-, 15, and 16. These members eachsupport a goose-neck 17. These goose-necks are secured in brackets 18fastened on the upper face of a channel bar 19 similar to the bar 11 andserves to support this bar in vertical alinement with the same. Theupper bar 19 is adapted to slidably support a block and Snapple similarto that mounted in the lower bar, and these two snapbles rcceive'therings at the ends of the mail bag 20 so as to'removably support the samein the rack.

Mounted in back of the channel bars are two oppositely inclined trippingrods 21. These tripping rods are supported by end standards 22 securedto the intermediate cross beams 23, and by a central brace 24: securedthrough the central cross beam 5. The tripping rods have their innerends connected by a T 26 secured thereto and to the upper end of thebrace 24. This T is positioned at the longitudinal center of the channelbars, and the tripping rods are positioned in back of and between thechannel bars, for the purpose to be later disclosed.

The goose-necks 17 are braced by hook members 27 passed about the samecarried by a horizontal bar 28 which is'supported by standards 29mounted on the intermediate cross bars 23, near the upper ends thereofwhich are extended beyond the back plate 5 2 for this purpose. Thegoose-necks are further braced and secured in. spaced relation by thehorizontal brace'rods 28" which are secured in T-joints 28 secured atthe center of the horizontal arms of the goosenecks and a four-armedjoint 28 secured at the center of the horizontal arm of the cen tralgoose-neck. This serves to securely brace and rigidly support thegoose-necks so as to secure the upper channel bar 19 in proper positionrelatively to the lower bar 11.

At the front of the rack, below and in front of the channel bars, ismounted a reeeiving trough. or basket 30. This basket is supported bythree U-brackets 31, each formed-with agoose-neck 32 which is securedthrough the front plate 1. Each side 5 wall of the basket is provided,near each end, with a vertical groove 31. These "grooves are ina'linement transversely of the basket and are adapted to slidablyreceive an end gate 33. This gate is mounted in one end of the trough orbasket so as to re- ;tain the mail bag delivered into the same fromapassing train, which end depending on the'direction of travel of thetrain.

' For convenience inplacing the bag in the rack so'as to be grasped bythe hook of a passingtrain, the rack platform or base is provided,ateachlend, with sultable steps 34.

It will, of course, be evident that the base or support for the rackcan'beconstructed in any suitable manner desired, the only requirementbelng that there be means 'for -properly bracing and supporting thevarious uprights and braces for thegoose-necks and tripping rods, andthe channel bars.

"F or use in'connection with this delivering and receiving rack,lhaveprovided a hook of special'c'onstruction adapted to cooperate withthe'tripping rods'and' supporting channel'bars so asto recelveorremove'the m'ail bag from between the same, and to be simultaneouslyactuated by the trippmg rods so *aste deliver'a bag of'mail into thereceiving trough orrbasket 30. This hook is illustrated in Figs. 3and ofthe drawings.

Thehook 35'is of rectangular shapebelng provided withthe end bars 36 and37 and a back bar 38, all integrally connected to form'a quadrilateral,the front of, whlch 1s open. An arm 39 is secured'to the front end ofthe end bar 36 of'the hook. The inner end jof this armi's securedtoavertical bar 40 byrneans'of -a four-armedjoint 41; This bar issli'dable between sheaves 42 adapted to be secured to'the sidebeam of thedoor frame Ora m'ailcar in the usual'manner. The bar 4Oisprovided withspaced limiting'bolts 43 .threadedthereinadapted to engage with theslots'44 and 45 in thesleeves 42. By means of "a handle 46the bar 40maybe adjusted so as to"secure thearm 39in a positionf at right anglesto the side of the car, in the us'u'al manner- In'this position the hook3'5 projectsf'from'the car A in a horizontal'pl'ane such'a distance asopasfs betweenthe channel'bjars '11 and19 of theraek so as toensimilarly secured to the front end of the bar 36 by a shank 50. Thegripping jaw 47 is further provided with a resilient spring member 51 ofapproximately S-shape which is secured thereto and to the inner face ofthe outer end bar 37. The gripping jaw 48 "is "similarly reinforced by aresilient member 52.

The space between the inner ends of the shanks 49 and 50 is of somewhatless width than the width of the restricted central portion of the mailbag 20. \Vhen the hook engages the mail bag the central portion of ithebag is forced between the shanks 49 and 50 into an approximatelyelliptical space betogether So as to firmly grip the bag and hold it inthe hook. lVhen the bag has been gripped in this manner by the hook itis forced longitudinally of the supporting channel bars 11 and 19 so asto be removed from the same, bythe forward travel of the train. As soonas the bag has been comp'letely'removed from the rack, the rod 40 isoperated by means of the handle 46 so as to swing the hook and the bagcarried thereby into the car door, in the usual manner. The mail bag 20is supported at the ends of the channel bars in the direction in whichthe trainapproaclies the station. This will be clear from Fig. 1 of thedrawmgs, in which it is assumed that the tram 1S traveling from the lefthand 'end of the rack toward the right hand end, as viewedin thedrawings. A lever arm 53. is pivotally mounted on the back bar 38 of thehook 35. This arm is providedwith a central polygonal aperture 54 whichsnugly receives the polygonal outer portion 55 of a pivot bolt 56 whichis mounted in an aperture through an enlarged portion 38 of the back bar38. The inner end of this bolt is threaded to receive a securing 'nut'57 which is locked in position by a cotter pin 58passed through thebolt. An oil duct 59 communicates with the aperture which receives thebearingportion of the bolt 56 'so as to permit a suitable lubricant tobe injected into the same, in the usual manner. v

The outer portion of the arm 53 is reduced and rounded, asat (i0, and asleeve 61 is loosely mounted thereon. This sleeve is retained inpositionby'a nut 62 secured on the outer threaded end of the reduced portion 60,of the arm. The inner end of the arm is reduced to form a flat inwardlyextending me1nber,63. This member is apertured, as at 64, .The backmember 38 of the hook is provided with a transversely extending recess65 below the member 63. A T-bolt 66 is secured through the cross barwith its head in the recess 65. A rectangular plate 67 has its inner endbifurcated to form lateral arms 68 which are bent about the arms of thehead 69 of the T-bolt so as to loosely connect the plate to the back bar38 of the hook 35. The cuter end of this plate is similarly bifurcatedto support a transverse pin 70. A link 71 is loosely mounted on thepivot pin and is inserted through an eye 72 which is loosely securedthrough the head of a tapered pin 73. This pin is adapted to extendacross the aperture 64 of the reduced portion 63 of the arm '53. When inoperative position the head of the pin rests on the outer bar of themember 63 and the point rests on top of the inner bar. This brings theeye 72 in engagement with the upper outer corner of the outer bar ofmember 63 so that, when the arm is rocked about its pivotal axis so asto raise the member 63, the pin 73 will be drawn off of the said member,by means of the plate 67, link 71, and eye 72.

The pin 73 is adapted to be inserted through a ring or loop74 on the endof the mail bag 75 which it is desired to deliver. As the hook 35 passesbetween the channel bars 11 and 19 of the delivering and receiving rackso as to engage the mail bag 20 supported thereby, the sleeve 61 of arm53 engages one of the tripping rods 21 so asto rock the outer end of thearm downward and raise the inner end or reduced portion 63 thereof. Thisresults in releasing the mail bag 75 which drops into the receivingtrough 30, being retained therein by the end gate 33. The hook 35removes the bag 20 from the rack and, simultaneously therewith, deliversthe bag 75 into the receiving trough 30. B this means the receiving anddelivering racli and hook coiiperate to remove a bag of mail from therack and to simultaneously deliver a bag of mail.

At the inner endof the back bar 38 of the hook 35, at the top and bottomthereof,

are secured buffer springs 76 and 77 of laminated construction,respectively. These springs are adapted to be engaged by the reducedportion 63 of the arm 53 when it is rocked about its pivotal axis so asto limit movement of the same. The recess 65 of the back bar 38 is ofsuch depth that the head of the T-bolt 66 does not project beyond theouter face of the bar. By this arrangement the plate 67 and the elementscarried thereby can be placed in operative position about the member 63of the arm 53 from either side of the arm. This renders it possible toreleasably suspend a mail bag from the hook 35 regardless of thedirection of travel of the train. Also, by providing two oppositelyinclined tripping rods 21, the arms 53 will be tripped with the traintraveling in either direction so that the v hook and rack are adapted tocoiiperate so as to simultaneously receive a mail bag from, and delivera mail bag to, a train traveling in either direction.

In the modified form of hook shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 11 of thedrawings, the gripping jaw 48 is replaced by a resilient jaw. 48connected by the shank 50 to the head 50" of a T-bar 78. This bar isslidable in a casing 79 secured on an integral extension 80 of the innerend bar 81 of the head. A coil spring 82 is mounted in the casing 79 andacts to normally force the T-bar 78 inward. A spring pressed latch 83 ismounted on the end bar 81 and engages a recess in the T-bar so as tonormally hold the same in outward position. This latch is connected by achain 84 whichpasses through eyes 85 to a block 86 fixedly secured onthe inner end of the pivot Tbolt 56 which is rotatably mounted in thebearing strap 56 secured to the top of the back bar 38 of the head. Whenthe arm 53 is rocked about its pivotal axis, the pivot bolt 56 isrotated and acts, by means of chain 8i, to retract the latch 83 so as torelease the T-bar 78. The T-bar is forced inward by means of the coilspring 82 so as to firmly grasp the mail bag and hold the same in thehook. WVhen it is desired to release the mail bag the T-bar 78 is forcedoutward, by means of the knob 87 secured therein and projecting throughthe slot 88 in the casing 79. When withdrawn into inoperative position,the T-bar is held in this position by the latch member 83, as in Fig. 6of the drawings. The operation of this hook in receiving and deliveringa bag of mail is the same as that of the hook shown and described above,and the hook shown in Figs. 5, 6, and 11 of the drawings, ismerelyintended to illustrate a modification or variation thereof.

It will be evident that certain changes can be made in the constructionand arrangement of the various parts of my invention without departingfrom the field and scope of the same, and I intend to include all suchvariations as fall within the scope of the appended claims, in thisapplication in which a preferred form only of my invention is disclosed.

What I claim, is

1. In a mail delivering and receiving means, a hook adapted to engageabag of mail, an arm pivotally mounted on the hook and having its outerend projecting beyond the hook and adapted to engage tripping means, apin engaging the inner end of said arm and adapted to support a bag ofmail, and means for moving the pin into inoperative position when thearm engages tripping means so as to cause it to be rocked about itspivotal axis.

2. In a mail delivering and receiving means, a hook adapted to engage abag of mail, an arm pivotally mounted on the hook and having its outerend projecting beyond beyond the hook, a pin engaging the inner endofsaid-arm and adapted to support a bag of mail, and means for removingthe pin into inoperative position when the arm is rocked about itspivotal axis.

4, In mail bag receiving and delivering means, a rectangular hook, apair of opposed inwardly directed gripping jaws mounted on said hook inspaced relation and provided with resilient shanks secured to the frontof said hook at each side thereof whereby said jaws may be forced apartso as to receive and grip a mail bag, and a resilient reinforcing memberinterposed between each of said gripping jaws and the adj acent arm ofthe hook so as to reinforce said jaws and hold the same in tightgripping engagement with a mail bag forced therebetween.

5. In mail bag receiving anddelivering means, a rectangular hook havinga back bar and a side bar at each end thereof and disposed substantiallyat a right angle to the back bar, opposed approximately semiellipticalinwardly directed'gripping jaws mounted on said hook and each provided.with anintegral resilient shank secured to the forward end of theadjacent end bar of said hook, an arm rockably mounted intermediate-itsends on the back bar of the hook on a horizontal axis and extendingbeyond the outerside bar of the hook, the said arm being verticallyapertured adjacent its in ner end, a pin adapted to extend across saidaperture so as to be supported on the upper face of said arm, andconnections between saidpin and hook for withdrawing the pin from thearm when the outer end of said arm is depressed.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. WHITE.

Witnesses: V

CLINTON P. PRICE, J. C. GUDGEL.

Copies of'thi s patent may be obtained for five cents each, byaddressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D.- 0.

